Weatherproof electric-lamp socket.



R. 1%., BENJAMIN.

WEATHERPRGOF ELECTRIC LAMP SOCKET.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 23, 1909. 1,025,238, Patented May 7, 1912 7V 2SHEETS-SHEET 1.

im'tt' 15 A a y ml 1 1" H W%% 1 WW R. B. BENJAMIN.

WEATHERPROOF ELECTRIC LAMP SOCKET.

APPL ICATIONIILED JULY 23, 1909,

Patented. May 7, 1912.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Wiinaifiles UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

REUBEN B. BENJAMIN, OF C I HICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO BENJAMIN ELEC-TRIO MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION onrumors:

WEATHERPROOF Emerald-LAM soonn'r.

. Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed July 23, 1909.Serial No. 509,181

Patented. May '7, 1912;

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, REUBEN B. BENJAMIN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, haveinvented new and useful Improvements in Vveatherproof' Electric-LampSockets, of which the following is a full,

clear, concise, and exact description, refer-- ence being had to theaccompanying drawing, forming a part of this specification.

Thisinvention relates to improvements in weatherproof electric lampsockets, one of the objects of the invention being to provide a socketin which the means for making connection with the supply wires arereadily accessible afterthe device has been secured in place upon itssupporting pipe.

As electricllamp sockets are-usually -constructed the upper part of thecasing shellv constitutes a cap which is made separable from the body ofthe casing, this cap having a bushing Which is threaded for therecepstruction is that where, a heavy globe is to be supported by thesocket, as is often the case inoutdoor lighting with large lamps, thebody part of the casing is liable to become separated from thesupporting cap and permit, this body part, together with the lamp andglobe, to fall and become broken or be left suspended by the leading-inwires.

It is, then, another principal object of my I invention to construct adevice in which the globe-carrying part of the casing cannot becomeseparated from the-opart which is Socured to the supporting pipe exceptwhen such parts are designedly separated.

Inv the accomplishmentof' the above objects I so construct the parts ofthe casing that mechanical connection between these parts is madeby'screwing one of said parts into the other. As a further means towardt-he'accomplishment of these objects I construct a globe-holding flangeupon the lower part of the casing in order to do away with the necessityof attaching a separateelement consisting of a globe-holder of theordinary form. Where such holders are employed with heavy globes theholders are likely to become loosened from the casingof the de vice.Furthermore, by forming the lower edge of the casing so-that it mayreceive the upper edge of a globe rain,dust and the like are effectuallyexcluded from the globe without the provision of special means formaintaining a weatherproof connection, as is required between anordinary shade-holder" and the casing of a socket. As a further meanstoward the adaptation of the device for use in exposed positi-ons, inthat it permits the casing to be without a joint at any point wheremoisture finding its. way into the casing would create a short circuit,Iso arrange the insulating base, socket and binding posts that the basewith the socket and binding posts thereon'may be withdrawn from thelower end of the casing after the globe-carrying part of the casing hasbeen separated from the body part thereof.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is aside elevational View of myimproved socket, the upper portion of a globe. being also shown; Fig. 2is, a vertical longitudinalv sectionalyiew of the device; Fig. 3 is anelevational side view of the insulating base, showing the same separatedon a horizontal line, in a manner hereinafter described, in

order that, the supply wires may be more readilysecured to the bindingposts; Fig.4

is a top plan View of the lower member of I the separable base; Fig. 5is a bottom plan viewofthe uppermembor of said base;

Fig. 6 is atop plan view of the part shown in Fig. 5; Fig. 7 is avertical sectional view of the same part, the section being taken on theline 7'7 of Fig. 5 looking in the "direction indicated by the arrows;and Fig. 8 shows, partly in elevation and partly in section, a modifiedform of, lower member for the casing, this member being intended for usewhen it is not desired to employ a globe. I

In the several figures of the drawings, 10 is a shell forming the upperand jm'ain portion of the casing. This shell is of general cylindricalform, but has its upper portion drawn into a smaller diameter than itsmain portion to form a neck '11. A metallic bushing 12, interiorly screwthreaded for the reception of the threaded end of a supporting pipe, isheld in place in the neck partly by an inturned flange 13 on the upperend of the neck 11 and partly by means of an.in--

wardly extending head 14 on the neck, this I bead occupying an annularrecess in the bushing 12. For securing the device against rotation withrespect to the pipe, andconsequent unscrewing of the device from saidpipe, there is provided a set screw 15, as usual.

The lower end of the casing shell 10 has screw threads 16 rolled thereonfor a short distance, andinto this screw threaded portion of the casingshell is inserted, by rotating the same, a threaded ring 17, the latterbeing flanged outwardly at 18 and downwardly at 19.. The downwardlyextending portion 19 is given a diameter which adapts it for thereception ofthe upper portionof the globe 2O, suitable clamping screws21 being provided which, when screwed in, pass into a groove (not shown)in the neck of the globe as usual.

The insulating base is formed in two parts 22 and 22 and is sustained inposition in the casing by means of an inturned flange 23 upon the upperedge of the ring 17, the lower member of the base being provided with acircumferential shoulder "2 1 which rests upon the inturned upper edgeof this ring.

socket or unscrewed therefrom the casing is indented at two oppositepoints, one of which is seen in Fig. l and is designated 25, the upperportion of the base being formed with depressions 26 (see Fig. 6) forthe reception of the indented portions of the casing, which indentedportions appear upon the inside of the casing as humps.

In order to facilitate the operation of connecting the leads with .thebinding screws the base is, as above mentioned, made in two portionswhich separate on a horizontal line as shown in Fig. 3. The upperportion 22 of the base carries the binding screws 27 and 28 upon thelower side thereof, a pair of openings 29 and 30 extending through thematerial of this part of the base for the accommodation of the leadwires. The binding screw 28 is carried by a plate 29 which is secured inposition by a screw 30 which extends through the base and has its headsunk in a recess in the upper side of the base. The plate 29 hasformedthereon a lug 31 which extends inward toward the center of the base andforms the contact which engages with the center terminal of the lamp.The binding screw 27 is carried by a plate 32 which is held in positionby means of a screw 33 which extends through the base. Clamped betweenthe plate 32 and the base is a thin metallic member 34: which extendsdown on each side of the plate 32 and has its ends arranged to almostmeet each other and then turn outward slightly. This member 34 forms oneof a pair of cooperating members which are arranged to make electricalconnection with each other To prevent rotation of the base inthe casingwhen a lamp is screwed nto the when the two parts of the base are puttogether, as will be explained in detail, hereinafter.

The lower part 22 of the base is ringshaped and is formed with a recess36 in its upper edge adapted for the reception of a downwardly extendinglug 37 which is formed upon the upper base member 22, so as to insurethe two parts of the base being put together in proper alincment. Tofurther insure the parts of the base being prop erly put together thelower part of the base is provided with a small notch 38 into which fitsa short lug 39 formed on the up per member of the base.

The lower ring-shaped portion of the base has .its exterior diametermade larger at its -upper portion than at its lower portion/i0, therebyforming the shoulder 24c hereinbefore referred to which rests upon theinturned upper edge of the ring 17. The interior of the ring is alsoenlarged at its upper portion. A threaded metallic sleeve 411 isinserted into the ring-shaped part-of the base and has its upper edge 42flanged over into the enlarged part of the ring in order that thethreaded sleeve may not be drawn out of the insulating ring by the actof screwing a lamp into the sleeve. Three lugs 43, formed on theinsulating ring extend in over the outturned edge of the sleeve tl tohold the same in position, the edge of the sleeve being notched atsuitable points in order that the sleeve may be inserted from the top ofthe ring. After the sleeve has been inserted and turned slightly ametallic strip 4 1 is secured, as for instance by means of a rivet 45,to the outside of the sleeve, this strip occupying a notch 46 formed inthe materiill of the insulating ring. The sleeve is now heldagainstrotation in the insulating ring by reason of the fact that thestrip 4A is firmly secured to the sleeve and occupies the recess ornotch 4:6 in the insulating ring. This strip 44 constitutes a contactfinger which, when the two parts of the base are put together, isinserted between the downturned ends of the contact member 34 car riedby the upper portion of the base. Electrical connection is thus made,upon putting the parts of the base together, between the binding post 27and the threaded sleeve 41. If now a lamp be screwed into the threadedsleeve its outer threaded terminal member will be electrically connectedwith one of the binding posts, the other terminal being connected withthe other binding post through the center contact member 31.

the. expanded portion 19 of the globe-supporting ring said globe will bevery firmly and rigidly supported, and that the connection between thisglobe and the supporting o, pipe which carries the whole arrangement Itwill be seen that if a globe be secured in .device.

It may, in some cases, be desired to dis- I pense with the globe, andwhen this isthe thereby up in position in the casing, this case the ringwhich screws into the lower end of the casing shell need not haveitslower portion expanded. In Fig. 8 I have shown a ring which is adaptedto the purpose of holding the porcelain base and parts carried ringbeing provided with the inturned flange 2% upon its upper edgebut havingits lower edge expanded only slightly and roughened or knurled inorderthat it may be firmly grasped when it is to be screwed into orunscrewed from. the casing shell.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

l. Ina lampsocket, the combination of a casing shell having meansthereon .for securing the same to a support, the lower end of said shellhaving screw threads, a threaded ring screwing into said shell, a baseinserted into said shell and resting, upon saidring, lamp-holding meanscarried by said lgase, and binding terminals carried by said ase.

2. In a lamp socket, the combination of a casing shell, means'securedthereto for supporting the same, a ring insertible into the lower end ofsaid casing shell, means for securing said ring iIr-position in saidshell, an

insulating base resting upon said ring, and

lamp-holding means carried by said base.

3. In .a lamp socket, the combination of a casing shell, asupportingbushing secured to said shell, a member insertible into said shell fromthe lower end, a base resting upon said insertible member, lamp-holdingmeans carried by said base, and binding terminals carried by said baseand accessible through said lamp-holding means.

4. In a lamp socket, the combination -oit' a casing shell having abushing secured at its upper end and having its lower end screw'threaded, an insulating basefinserted into the lower end of said casingshell, a threaded sleeve carried by saidbase, binding terminals uponsaid base, and a threaded ring screwed into the threaded end of saidcasing shell and arranged to support said base in said casing shelL5..In'a lamp socket, the combination of a casing shell having asupporting neck,a base inserted into the lower end of said 6. In a lampsocket, the combination of a casing shell having a supporting neck uponone of its-ends, a base inserted into the shell through the opposite endof said'shell, a lamp-receiving sleeve supported by said base, and aring secured insaid shell below said base for sustaining said base inposition,

said ring being expanded below said shellto receive a globe.

7. In a lamp socket, the combination casing shell having a supportingneck upon one of its ends, a base inserted into the shell through theopposite end of said shell, said base being separable into two parts ona transverse line, binding. termmals carried by the upper of said parts,a lamp-holder carried by the lower of said parts, cooperating contactmembers on said parts of said base arranged to engage each other whensaid parts are put together and thereby connect saidlamp-holder with oneof said binding terminals, and means for sustaining said base in saidshell.

8. In a lamp socket, the "combination of a casing shell havingsupporting means and having its lower end provided with screw threads, alamp-holder and binding terminals within said casing shell, and aglobesupporting ring provided with screw threads for cooperation withthe screw threads of said casing shell, said ring bein arranged toengage the lower part of sai lamp holder and thereby support it in saidshell 9. In an electric lamp socket, the combination of a casing shell,a supporting bushing secured thereto, a base insertible base comprisingan upper member and a lower ring-shaped member, binding terminalscarried by the upper of said members, a threaded lamp-receiving sleevecarried by the lower of said members, means for making electricalconnection between said sleeve and one of said binding terminals whensaidbase members are put together, and means for sustaining said basemember in said casing shell.

10. In an electric lamp socket, the combination of a casing shell, abase insertible into said casing shell through the lower end ofa' intothe lower end of saidcasing shell, said thereof, said base comprising anupper memher and a lower ring-shaped member, binding terminals carriedby the upper of said members upon the lower side, thereof, a threadedlampreceiving sleeve carried by the lower of said members, interengagingcontacts carried by said members and conneoted with one of said bindingterminals &- I 1,025,233

and said lamp-receiving sleeve respectively, member being extended belowsaid shell and means for sustaining said base member for the receptionof a globe or the like.

in said casing shell. e In witness whereof, I have hereunto sub- 11; Ina lamp socket, in combination, a scribed my name in the presence of twowit- 5 easing shell having the lower end thereof nesses.

'open, a lamp holding deviceinsertible into Y said shell through theopen lower end there- REUBEN BENJAMIN of, a member secured to said shellat the Witnesses: lower portion thereof for sustaining said CHARLES G.Corn,

10 lamp holding device within said shell, said CHARLES L. HOPKINS.

